Three Run for Two Open Positions

Occupation/ Business: Chief Nursing Officer- Mosaic Lifecare

Do you belong to any other community organizations or hold any memberships?

I sit on several committees and boards for my position at Mosiac Lifecare. In addition to committees and boards for my work, I sit on the Hillyard Advisory Council and am a member of MONL (Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders) and AONL (American Organization for Nurse Leaders)

Why did you decide to run for the SR3 Board of Education?

I have been on the SR3 school board for the last 6 years and I feel we are at a very important time for the Savannah School District. Our School District is progressing. We are truly in a great position, and I want to ensure we continue the path we are on. We have a multi-million-dollar project in the works at the high school; we have done district-wide updates at every building, increased teachers' salaries, expanded our sports programs, and many other things. Next year, we will also have new leadership, a new superintendent, and a new assistant superintendent. So, when I reflected on where we are, especially after the last several years post-COVID, I felt it was important to rerun to help our board stay consistent so we could continue pushing our district forward. It's an exciting time to be a Savage.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing SR3?

There are always many challenges that impact school districts. For Savannah, I would say my top two are the external environment and teacher retention and retainment. With the external environment, there is always a risk of decreased funding and the ever-changing policy mandates from the state and federal levels. And with teacher retention and retainment, though we have done very well, it always has to be at the forefront of what we do. Our teachers help create the amazing schools that we have and we couldn't do it without them.

What do you feel are the district’s biggest strengths?

There are so many strengths for SR3. A few of my top choices would be quality teachers, our students, a community that supports the schools, a fiscally responsible leadership team, amazing athletics, and a district that is being proactive and progressing when many other schools are not.

What have you done to educate yourself on the issues currently facing the SR3 Board of Education?

I take my position on the board very seriously. I always make sure and educate myself on the topics we will be discussing, and I have spent many hours reviewing policies and procedures that impact the district. I also belong to the Missouri School Board Association where I can keep up to date on state and federal policy changes along with other things happening across the state.

Tell us about your family …

I am married to Tyler Bledsoe, and together, we have 4 kids. Mady is 25years old and will be graduating in May from UMKC with her Pharm-D; Emily is 20 and has graduated from MWSU with her bachelor's degree and is continuing her education at North Central working on her Nursing Degree, Jake is 14 and is in the 8th grade at Savannah Middle School, and Colton is 5 and will be a kindergartner at John Glenn this next school year. Tyler and I are both Savannah graduates and have lived our entire lives in the district.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I graduated from Savannah High School, I have my bachelor's degree with an emphasis in nursing from MWSU, and my master's degree in business administration (MBA)from Baker University. I have appreciated the opportunity to serve on the Savannah School Board for the last 6 years and would appreciate your support to serve for another 3 years. Thank you.